This is probably the last post I will be able to write. I was diagnosed less than two months ago with a very nasty cancer with a poor prognosis. I thought I could power through it but a serious infection with sepsis and a week and a half stay in the hospital has convinced me that it’s time to quit and focus on other things.
Sucks, but that’s life.
There are many pulmonary function topics I would have liked to discuss but time has run out. I will leave you to ponder the two biggest elephants in the room; that of height and that of ethnicity. The relationship between height and FVC, TLC, etc. is inexact and yet nobody seems to think about any alternate anthropomorphic measurements. Sitting height is only marginally better but it is better. Is anybody using it? No. C’mon people, it’s way past time that we found better anthropomorphic correlations for FVC, FEV1, TLC and DLCO.
And what the heck is ethnicity? Where is there a definition for it? Although I applaud the GLI efforts for more universal FVC reference values they included fudge factors for ethnicity. Fudge factors!!??. It’s time that the concept of ethnicity was dropped and better (see above) anthropomorphic correlations were made.
Keep learning. Keep questioning.
Goodbye.
– UPDATE –
I have funded the PFTBlog, PFTHistory, PFTGuide and PFTPatient websites for the next 2 years so they will stay up for at least that long regardless of what happens to me.
I am humbled by the responses I have received to this posting. Thanks to all of you.
So very sorry to hear the news Richard. You will be missed.
I’m so sorry for everything you are going through.
I’ve started following your blog only a couple of years ago, and at every new post I dug into the topic as deeply as I could to learn everything about it, discussed with colleagues and friends, started great conversation, all tanks to your work. The best part of it is that you always try to maintain an unbiased approach to the topic, never trying to force th reader to follow your point of view, but at the same time giving great suggestions, so useful for those who’ve started this job from little time.
PFT testing is such an amazing word and you’ve been a great example of love and devotion to it. We all as a community learned a lot from your experience and sincerely miss your work.
Best regards, I really hope this isn’t the last post. Good luck
Hi Richard,
I’ve been reading your posts for a number of years now and found them so beneficial. I’ve always enjoyed your reasoning and considered posts and have found strength in your writing to be a better scientist.
I want to let you know I will be rooting for you and I wish you all the very best.
Kind regards,
Clinton from Australia
I’m sorry to hear of your illness, I have enjoyed reading your blogs, I have learned a great deal from you Richard
God bless
Life is not perfect, PFT is not perfect, I am saddened that you have a health battle to fight, I will miss your thought-provoking questions.
Be well, stay strong,
Dear Richard, I would like to express my thanks for all of your insights and teachings. I will miss reading, pondering, and learning from you. Bless you.
Richard,
I am saddened to learn of your serious illness. Thank you for your contribution to the science of Pulmonary Function. Your website stands as a reference for all those interested in improving the accuracy and reliability of Pulmonary Function testing.
Thank you for all your help and insight.
I’ve enjoyed your writings since I discovered them a few years ago; I wish we’d met. Goodbye, Richard. May your family and all the people who’s knowledge you’ve enhanced be a comfort.
Mike Mulligan
Thank you for all you have done!
God Bless!
Richard, your wisdom and generosity will be sorely missed. You have done so much to advance our field of Pulmonary Function testing. My docs and I frequently use your blog as a reference and for guidance. I still make use of the digital version of your reference library that you gifted us upon visiting our lab a couple years ago. You are a rare individual! Wishing you health, comfort and peace as you focus on yourself.
Best,
Cory Heath, RRT, RPFT
Berkshire Medical Center
Pittsfield, MA
Godspeed Richard,
It has always been a pleasure learning from you
You are a great boss and mentor.
Dang
Be well my friend. You have been an inspiration here in Beer Sheva Israel and caused fruitfull discussions. I hope you will pull through. I will out for your next post luna
From Buenos Aires, Argentina, all our respect. You´ve been an incredible source of knowledge and a gateway to a world of debates and displays of wisdom. Our thanks forever, and don´t give up!
Richard, in each lecture or presentation I have given, I have always said that I am just a messenger and that I stand on the shoulders of men much smarter than me…you are one of those men. You are a bright beacon in the sometimes foggy world of PFT. The very best of luck to you, I wish I could shake your hand.
P.Geronimo
Thank you for your tremendous efforts to improve, teach, educate, encourage, stimulate and encourage those of us in the trenches performing pulmonary function testing and caring for patients each day.
May God’s blessings and peace be on you and yours.
Warmly,
Gretchen Stanton
I’m so very sorry to read this last post.
I just wanted to tell you that I have learned a great deal from this blog. You inspired me with your posts and I’m very grateful to have found you.
Thank you
Oh my, Richard. I’m so sorry for you and yours.
Although we’ve never met, I feel like I know you. Your blog has been very insightful, You’re like the boss that I’ve never had, someone who will critique test purely for doing the right thing. You keep my bearing centered on providing quality and give me the information to steer my colleagues in the proper direction.
I feel that anybody can do PFTs, but quality testing is on us…. nobody really governs the quality of testing. Your writings have always been a sounding board for quality testing in our lab.
I hope to read something from you as you deal with the most difficult test of your life. Thank you for all your expertise and dedication. You’re a wonderful mentor.
There is still time to trust in Christ. May God grant you repentance and belief. Praying for you. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No need to ponder anything else.
Dear Richard,
unfortunately I had never the chance to meet you in person, but I have been reading with interest your blog for years.
Your words are very sad.
I wish you the best.
Good luck!
Paolo
Richard, I have lectured and presented for decades and I make a point of saying to my audience that I am a messenger and I stand on the shoulders of smarter men. You are one of those men. Thanks for your insight all these years. The very best of luck to you. I wish I could have met you in person and shake your hand.
P.Geronimo
Richard,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking so much time to put your wisdom, experience and curiosity down for the rest of us to learn from. I can safely say that the day I found your blog was the day I finally started to feel comfortable in respiratory. I have read every post you have ever made at least twice (and every post on lung volumes about 15 times), and every student I have ever had has breathed a huge sigh of relief when I’ve shown them your utterly brilliant explanations of some complex systems and ideas. I am really going to miss your words, but I look forward to carrying on your legacy by looking into better ways to discuss what an individual’s lung function is and what it should be.
Take care, Richard- all the very best for whatever comes next.
Grateful for you always,
Madeleine in Canberra, Australia
Thank you for all the knowledge you have shared. I wish you peace, grace and comfort during this most difficult of times.
Richard,
Thank you immensely for writing your blog for so long. I’ve used it often for reference and to help clarify my understanding of PFTs. Wishing you healing and strength.
Respectfully,
Kathryn Ickes
Hello, Richard.
I was very concerned when you told me about your health issues a few weeks ago and have since kept you in my prayers. I am so sorry to hear that your health is worse than you initially expected. Whatever happens, please feel the peace that over the past six years, your website has arguably done more to improve the knowledge of pulmonary technologists than anything else. I’ve said this about you before and I’ll say it again; I think one of the highest compliments you can give someone is to say that they’ve made a difference, and Richard, you’ve made a significant, positive different to me and to our technologists. I don’t know if there’s anyone that can fill the void you’re leaving; yours are some pretty big shoes to fill. I regret never having the opportunity to meet you in person.
God Bless You, and if there’s anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Richard I’m so sorry to hear about your current situation and diagnosis.
I wish you nothing but the best.
I feel I should make sure you know that your help, advice and information has proven to be very valuable. I hope that you can manage to keep the website up for as long as is reasonably possible as there truely is a plethora of information here. I think it even goes beyond information in the sense of giving people perspective on how to think about Pulmonary Functions, to see its flaws and successes. Far to often people working in Pulmonary Functions are just happy to read their script and not apply or learn to knowledge that fleshes out what the testing is doing or how its being gathered etc.
Your thoughts, opinions, information and vast experience will be sorely missed.
Best of luck, I’ll be rooting for you.
Matthew Harrison
Pulmonary Function Lab Supervisor
Saskatchewan Health Authority
So sorry to hear of your health. You have been a great inspiration to me and helped with questions that the literature is either silent or incomplete about. God bless you and best wishes for your recovery. Thanks for being there.
God Bless.
Richard,
As a pulmonologist at a teaching institution, I can’t express how much your expertise and thoughtful reflections on “all things PFT” have made me a better educator and clinician. You leave an amazing legacy in the field of lung function testing. I wish you and your family the very best in this trying time.
Hello Richard,
I know that it is not why you sent this likely last message, but I hope that it is OK to let you know that myself and I’m sure everyone who has had the great fortune to learn from you are extremely sad to hear of your health challenges.
I’m thankful for being made aware of your blog and always looked forward to your relevant posts that help me/us be better pulmonary function technologists. Thank you for putting pulmonary function testing concepts into practical application.
I pray for you to be comfortable and in the least amount of pain as possible.
Thank you for being there for those of us who enjoy this important career.
Jim Norton
VCU Health System and Children’s Hospital of Richmond
God Bless You
You have made many contributions to the field.. I will miss you…………………
Richard, I am so sorry to hear your news, I looked forwarding in reading your blogs. You need to take care of your self and family, even thou Life does suck, they say you get out of life what we put into it. You definitely have put in more. We thank you for your time, Good Luck and prayers with you.
I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis and prognosis. I am a pulmonologist and have been a doctor for 10 years. I wanted to let you know how very much I appreciate your blog. I have read it for years and have learned so much from you and from your discussions with others on your blog. I greatly admire your quest for excellence in PFTs. You have made me a better doctor and changed the way I care for others. I hope that I impact others the way that you have.
Feel sad to hear the news. Hope you recover from the cancer. Best wishes and God bless you.
Great blog and great work on pulmonary function tests.
I am so sorry to read this Richard.
I have immensely enjoyed reading your posts, and whenever I had a question, I found you to be extremely helpful. Your passion for the profession of Pulmonary Function, was something that shone through all of your work on this website. I have often referred to your blog posts not only for myself, but also for coworkers and Respiratory students looking for PFT explanations that could be understood at all levels.
Thank you for your hard work and the gift of sharing your knowledge.
Kindest Regards,
Michelle
That is the last thing I wanted to read in your blog. Your efforts have made going from this critical care world to the diagnostic world possible for me. My daughter who cried when dad went to work at night and my wife who got me more than 1 weekend a month. All three of us owe you a big thank you.
God bless you in your next adventure or see you on the other side.
Dear Richard,
I was so sad to hear of your diagnosis. Cancer is a blight on our world and I’m very sorry it has struck you down.
I am one of the many, MANY respiratory scientists in Australia who has used your blog over the years for learning, teaching and finding easy-to-understand answers to my questions (of which I always find you have covered) in an entertaining, down-to-earth and informative way. I often tell our doctors training in respiratory medicine to visit your website to find the answers to all their burning pulmonary physiology questions. Your KCO blog (not DL/VA!) is with me whenever I am teaching respiratory trainees about the DLCO test. When I read your posts, my head often nods in agreeance at the computer and I find myself talking to the screen saying things like ‘that’s so true’ and ‘yes I know’!
It is not lost on me that I have never emailed you to thank you for your vast and incredible contribution to our field and am only emailing you now you are saying goodbye – for that, I am sorry. It’s no excuse, but it is human nature to take good things for granted and only when we lose something special that we fully appreciate what we had. Your blog will be sorely missed.
My very best wishes to you and your loved ones as you come to the end of one long journey and begin another. And thank you again on behalf of all those who have learned so much from you over the years and have not thanked you before – we are all thanking you now.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may his face shine upon you and give you peace.
Debbie Zagami
BSc. CRFS GradCertRespSc.
Scientific Director | GCHHS Lung Function Laboratories
Gold Coast Health
Gold Coast University Hospital
Block D Level 1 Area 7
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215
P: 07 5687 4771 | F: 07 5687 7894
E: Debbie.Zagami@health.qld.gov.au
Web: http://www.goldcoast.health.qld.gov.au
Intranet: gchweb.sth.health.qld.gov.au
Social: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube
Hugs and prayers for you. Thank you for all that you have done to keep us updated.
Dear Richard,
I am very sorry to hear this!
I have enjoyed your blogposts and enthusiasm concerning pulmonary function test a lot. Really inspiring!
I wish you all the best, and deep in my heart I hope that you will be spared from suffering and hopefully can beat the poor prognosis.
Best regards,
Erik Liaaen
Norway
Thank you for the wealth of knowledge you have shared! I have thoroughly enjoyed all your posts and I will miss your commentary. But of course, your insight will continue to be used as a resource for PFT personnel both old and new. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
So sorry! I have truly enjoyed your passion and knowledge! Peace to you.
Will miss you and your sharing. All the best and thank you!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with PFT newbies like me! I have enjoyed your blog and have learned a great deal.
I’m sorry to learn of your cancer diagnosis. Peace to you and yours. Receive the loving care from others as you have given care to many over the years.
Hi Richard,
I can’t tell you how sorry I am about your news! I hope you can somehow still fight this and get past it.
I think I can speak for those of us who’ve had the pleasure and privilege to visit this blog just how valuable you’ve been to our field. I know of no one more dedicated to getting at the truth regarding the issues in our profession — your technical expertise and your ability to state things simply (in my opinion) is unsurpassed.
The idea that we’ll no longer hear from you felt like a punch in the stomach. There are so few of us “dinosaurs “ left, I’m sorry to say, who care deeply about where our field is headed.
I will miss you dearly my friend.
Ira
God Bless you Richard for your tireless devotion to teaching all of us over the years. So very sorry to learn your sad news. I’m heartbroken for you and your family.
Richard, I will sincerely miss your blog. I deeply appreciated your willingness to explore and question the status quo. Thank you for your significant contributions to the betterment of pulmonary function testing!
I wanted to thank you for your blog and service. It was very interested to read.
Dear Richard:
I am very sorry to hear this news. I offer my best wishes and prayers for you.
You have been my single best source for good information and discussion about all things related to pulmonary function. I always found it mind boggling that you could produce thus high quality and thoughtful essays on important and relevant topics with such frequency.
I hold you in the highest regard. Thank you for all you have done.
Dear Richard.
I’m quite shocked to hear that and I sincerely hope you recover well.
I have been following your blog for some time now and have recommend it to many colleagues who show interest in lung function testing. Your present and past comments on lung function testing will be always appreciated.
All my best wishes from Barcelona, Spain.
Very sad to hear about the reason you are having to quit. Hope you will find the peace to concentrate on the other things. About your biggest elephants, hey that’s interesting, i might go and do something with it.
I’m so sorry to hear about your cancer Richard. Your posts, comments and ideas have helped countless people including myself become better a scientist. I hope the blog stays around for many years to come as it has a wealth of knowledge!
Dear Richard,
Thank you for your note that describes a new path on your journey here on earth. The road sounds rough to say the least – but I hope my note can help you out in some small way.
Your work and blog in the field of respiratory medicine has been very informative and challenging.
I agree wholeheartedly on your last 2 challenges. I will try and find a way to figure it out.
Peace – Paix
Wow – I am so sorry to hear this, your good bye! Thank you for your contribution to pulmonary medicine and to the education of us all. Battle hard! You will be missed on this web page
Thank you so very much Richard for your insight, tenacity & breadth of knowledge. I hope you find a way to keep your blog immortalized as it is a brilliant resource for anyone performing PFT’s & i direct anyone who is learning the craft to your site! May you find joy in the little things as you navigate this complex journey & know from the bottom of my heart how much i appreciate you sharing your life’s work with us all. You have helped create a better calibre of pulmonary technicians & we will continue to keep questioning & learning.
Oh no! Praying for you Richard! I will miss reading your posts! Thank you for serving your colleagues so generously for many years. All my best, Amanda
I, like others, was very sorry to read this. I’ve really enjoyed and learned from your blog over the years.
Hi Richard,
I’m sorry to read your news. Your blog has been invaluable, thank you for generously sharing your wisdom with Respiratory physiologists around the world.
Richard,
Thank you for all your hard work, time, dedication, and resources you provided to us in the Pulmonary community. I was shocked to read about your illness on your blog. I wish you the best, and hope you beat this.
Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us.
Darren May
Richard – Thank you for all you have done for the international world of respiratory science. I hope you realise how far and how many people your contributions have reached and the inspiration you provide.
It sounds like you and your family have a rough road ahead. Please feel the warmth and caring thoughts that we are sending your way from Australia.
Richard,
So sorry to hear this news. You inspired me enormously to continue advancing in this field. Thank you for all your devoted contribution from all these years.
My highest regards!
Andre
All the best, enjoy each moment without past or future
Richard,
I am so sorry to hear of your illness. You have been such a great source of information for me since I started working in the PFT lab. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. God bless you for all of the hard work you have done to help us understand our field better.
Dear Richard,
Thank you for educating and inspiring many pulmonary professionals. May god bless you and give you strength to return strongly to continue your excellent work.
Dear Richard,
I have been following your blog for years and have enjoyed every post that I have read. I have incorporated many of your insights into my lectures and want to thank you for your hard work and dedication to our profession. All of my best to you!
So sorry to hear that.I think you inspired so many people from all over the world with your approach to this part of science, and this will not be forgotten for sure. Sending you my thoughts this next challenge of your life.
Rocco
I am sorry to hear this Richard. Like many others on here I have followed your blogs, used your wisdom and pointed others towards your site. Thanks and all the best.
Dear Richard,
So sorry to hear this. Thank you so very much for keeping this blog and for sharing your knowledge, for explaining and questioning concepts in PFT.
You have been a great inspiration to me.
Best regards,
Jenny
I am so sorry to hear of this Richard. I love your blog as a wonderful resource and your sense of humor. I hope you lick this horrible diagnosis.
Big thanks Richard. The ATS/ERS team preparing the new technical standards for spirometry has been reading and enjoying your blog. You gave a lot to PFT world, well appreciated!
Thank you so much for your contributions to the PFT labs, medical professionals and patients all over. I discussed your articles many times with my coworkers and have been inspired me to be thoughtful about how any measurement is collected, how equipment is managed, and largely how care is delivered. I hope you receive the quality care you most deserve. We are definitely missing out on your expert, thought-provoking and entertaining articles but also missing someone so dedicated to helping others understand and care for people.
Hi hope you will get better. Thank for very useful work. It’s my best professional blog ever.
It’s been a pleasure learning from you Richard. All the best.
are there any news?
how ar e you doing?
Shabath Shlom from the Negev israle
Richard-
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with all of us in the world of PFT. It feels as thought we work so hard on the details and unfortunately the general population has no idea what we are talking about or cares. Your blog has been a great resource and right on the pulse of what is happening in labs. I wish you strength for your journey.
Richard,
Sorry to hear the news.
You and all that you have done for pulmonary function will be greatly missed by us all.
All my best.
Mo
Dear Sir
I am very sorry to hear your news.
I really appreciate your page. Its such a wonderful resource for respiratory physiology.
I am deeply sorry you are going through such an awful time.
Richard, I am dismayed to hear of your serious illness.j I am currently reviewing the 2019 ATS+ERS spirometry standards which reference your excellent suggestions regarding quality assurance checks. I was looking forward to meeting you in Benson. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you. I have separately sent you an email with my phone number. Paul Enright